'Pirates of the Caribbean 5' news: First photo of Jack Sparrow released

Johnny Depp is back on the set of "Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man Tell No Tales," the fifth entry in the popular pirates franchise. The actor recently sustained a hand injury while filming in Australia that forced him to fly to New York City to have it treated. Depp was initially scheduled for a two-week break but this was extended to one month.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer confirmed Depp's return by posting on Twitter the first official image of the actor portraying Captain Jack Sparrow. The photo depicts Jack tied to a ship's mast with two pirates securing him in place.

"Captain Jack is back and we're not letting him go," reads the caption that accompanies the photo.

Bruckheimer, director of the first three "Pirates of the Caribbean" films, stepped back and took on the role of producer for the fourth film as he did for this fifth entry. Taking his place at the helm is the directing duo Joachim Ronning and Espen Sandberg. The film's script is penned by Jeff Nathanson, who previously worked on "Catch Me If You Can" and "Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull."

According to Collider, the film's official plot revolves around Captain Salazar (Bardiem) and his band of ghost pirates rising from their prison at sea to kill every pirate. In order to fight back, Captain Jack Sparrow must retrieve the Trident of Poseidon, an ancient artifact that grants its wielder control of the seas.

Despite the previous films in the franchise not attaining the same critical reception that the first film did, their box office numbers continue to grow with each entry. With new directors at the helm, fans speculate that this may achieve the critical success of the first "Pirates of the Caribbean."

"Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales" is scheduled to hit theaters nationwide on July 7, 2017.